Lions and Tigers And Me
by Ophelia Lokisdottir
Summary: "Of all the days for the universe to screw Katya Marten over, it had to be her birthday." Normally, fifteen means another step toward a drivers license, or a sweet sixteen. For Katya Marten, it meant being attacked by a monster and having her life flipped on its ear. Katya never knew her mother, but when she is called on to help her, can she embrace her newfound heritage?
1. A Normal Life? Yeah, right

**Hello everyone! So this is my first PJO fic, and it's a little different than what I've done in the past, but I hope you like it! For reference, this takes place in April 2007, before Book 2. Enjoy!**

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Of all the days for the universe to screw Katya Marten over, it had to be her birthday.

It hadn't started off as a screw-you day, actually. Thanks to some teacher workshop, Katya had a few days off from school and was spending her birthday at the Central Park Zoo with her dad, who worked there as a veterinarian with the big cats. She did this as often as she was able- she loved the big cats, but more importantly, she tried spending as much time with her dad as possible. Her mother had died shortly after childbirth, and her dad had never remarried. The two shared a close bond were fiercely protective of one another.

Katya and her dad, Devon, were in the veterinary center. Katya was watching her Devon do a routine check-up on Rusty, the male tiger that lived at the zoo. Rusty was snoozing under a light anesthetic and Devon was checking out his teeth. Devon held Rusty's mouth open so Katya, sitting on a stool in the corner, could see his gleaming incisors. She grinned.

"C'mere, Kitty Kat," said Devon, his nickname for her eliciting a smile. She hopped off the stool and hurried over. "How's fifteen feeling so far?"

"Um...a lot like fourteen, I guess." He held out a syringe.

"Well, fifteen-year-olds get to do the blood sampling." He laughed at her slightly horrified expression. "Kidding, kidding." He found a spot on Rusty's hind leg and quickly drew a sample of blood. He labeled the vial and placed it on a rack for later collection. "I think we're about finished here..." He glanced around. "Yup. Wanna take a lunch break?" She nodded, her stomach letting out a growl as if to say _Are you kidding? Of course_! Other workers came in to move Rusty back to the tiger enclosure and Katya and her dad left.

They fetched their lunch bags from Devon's locker and settled down on a bench near the North Woods area of the zoo, home to wolves, beavers, deer, waterfowl, lynx and several species of birds of prey. It was a perfect lunch spot.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Katya leaned back, chewing the last bite of her bagel and breathed in the piney smell from the nearby enclosures. It was really a gorgeous day for mid-April; the sun was shining, there was a light breeze, there were screams coming from down the North Woods pathway...

Katya straightened, looking at her dad. He had heard them too. People were tearing down the path toward the entrance. Some held children tight in their arms, any strollers forgotten in the woodland exhibits. As the first fleeing zoo-goers drew closer, Katya could hear them yelling about a wolf that was loose. She stood up, peering down the path, which curved out of sight around a cluster of trees. Devon stood up slightly in front of her. As they watched, something came loping along the path. It had a canine snout and fur, but it definitely wasn't a wolf. The thing was humanoid, walking on two thin legs.

"Dad?" Katya said nervously. "Um...i-it doesn't look like a wolf to me." As the wolflike creature emerged into the sunlight at the path's entrance, it seemed to look right at her. It snarled something. Katya figured she must be going insane, because it sounded like the thing had growled "cat." Her dad turned sharply.

"What do you see?"

Katya hadn't expected that.

"I-it looks like...um...well, a werewolf, sort of. And it...I though I heard it say 'cat.'" Her dad turned back to face it.

"_Lycanthrope_," he said quietly. The werewolf thing was creeping closer to them, snarling. Devon stepped backwards in time with the creature, pressing a hand to Katya's shoulder and bringing her back with him. "Katya," he muttered, "Be ready to run when I say."

"What? Dad, what is-"

"Just listen to me, darling." They had backed up near a big plastic trash can. In a swift movement, Katya's dad sprang from her side to the trash can, hefting it and spinning like a discus thrower. After a revolution and a half, he released the trash can, sending it flying at the wolf creature. The can smashed into the creature, bowling it over backwards and sending it tumbling across the pavement.

"Now RUN!" Devon yelled, grabbing his daughter's hand and sprinting away. Katya raced along with her dad, trying desperately to keep up. He ran toward the huge building that housed the big cats, going around the side to the employee entrance. He had his key ring out and expertly flicked through the keys, jabbing the right one into the lock and yanking yanking the door open. He locked the door again as soon as they were inside.

They were in a hallway that ran behind the cat enclosures for zookeepers to get inside. Devon walked quickly down the hall with Katya in tow. There was a burst of snarling from outside and the door rattled violently. Devon stopped in front of a door and selected a key from his ring.

"Dad, are you _insane_?" Katya nearly shrieked.

"Katya, you need to trust me, okay? I promise it will be okay." Katya was breathing heavily and she felt like crying, but she nodded. Her dad turned the key and opened the door marked with the word TIGER. As he did so, the door to the outside was ripped from its hinges to frame the wolf creature. Katya let out a scream, and a moment later, a shadow appeared in the doorway of the tiger enclosure. Rusty stepped outside. He took in Devon, a frightened Katya, and the wolf creature with his glittering amber-gold eyes- then sprang past Katya with a snarl. The wolf man charged and the two animals met in a flash of teeth and claws. There was another snarl from Rusty and a yelp from the wolf creature as Rusty sank his teeth into its arm. It pulled away, blood dripping from the fang marks. It swiped with a clawed hand, but Rusty evaded it with the grace and skill of- well, a cat, before returning with a swipe of his own. His claws raked across the wolfman's chest and before Katya's eyes, the creature dissolved into yellow dust with a howl. Rusty turned and padded back towards Katya and her father. Katya's legs gave out and she sank to the floor against the wall. Rusty paused in front of her, inclined his head, and continued back into his enclosure. Devon shut the door and locked it before pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. He selected something from speed dial and held the phone to his ear. After a pause, he spoke.

"Laurel? We've been attacked." Katya was taken slightly aback.

"Why do you have my best friend on speed dial?" Her dad held up a finger.

"It's not safe anymore. I've got to take her. We'll meet you at camp." He hung up and grabbed a broom and dustpan, heading for the yellow dust pile on the floor. He gathered all the dust into the dustpan and dumped it into a nearby sink, then turned on the faucet and washed it all down the drain.

"What camp? Is thing a thing for my ADHD? Will you please explain to me what is going on?!" Katya cried.

"Not here," her dad said. "Come on."

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

After a very brief stop at their apartment where Katya's dad had grabbed a packed duffel bag from his room, they were back on the road again. They left the city and were soon driving through sprawling fields. Katya was in the passenger seat with the duffel bag on her lap.

"Are we going to talk about what happened?" she asked quietly. "Something nearly killed us. What was it? Why did everyone see a wolf except me?"

"That was a lycanthrope," said her dad. "Remember the stories I used to tell you?" Katya thought back to the early years of her life.

"The Greek stuff?" Her dad nodded.

"Lycanthropes are werewolves. They were named for Lycaon, who..." He left the sentence for Katya to finish.

"He...served a human to Zeus to see if Zeus was really a god. Zeus found out and...and turned him into a wolf?"

"Very good," said Devon. They were silent for a while.

"But...that's just a myth. Isn't it?" Katya asked. Her dad didn't answer. "Isn't it?" she asked again, though less sure of herself this time.

"Laurel and Chiron will explain it better than I can," he said. The road changed to a wide dirt path. They pulled up to a base of a tall hill. Devon stopped the car and the two of them got out. There was a sign down the road. Katya squinted to make it out- the distance and her dyslexia were making it near-impossible to read.

"'Delphi Strawberry Service,'"supplied her dad. "It's their cover. I promise, darling, everything will be okay. This is a good place for you to be now that...now that we know it's dangerous for you. I tried to hold off sending you here for as long as possible but you're older now and it gets harder to hide you." He swallowed. "I love you, Katya. This is the best thing for you, I promise." He held out his arms and Katya practically fell into them, the two wrapping their arms around each other. Katya buried her face in her dad's chest, feeling tears beginning to track down her face. She sniffed.

"I love you, daddy."

"Love you more, Kitty Kat." There was a joyous shout from the top of the hill.

"Katya!" The Martens ended their hug to see Laurel waving from the top of the hill. Katya waved back, then dragged a hand across her eyes. She picked up her duffel bag and watched her dad return to the car. She started up the hill, walking backwards and watching her dad drive away back down the dirt road. She turned and hiked up to meet Laurel on top of the hill, under the enormous pine tree. Katya's gaze was drawn to the strange furry white pants Laurel wore. But...they weren't pants, because Laurel's legs ended in petite, brown...hooves? Laurel looked down.

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Katya, I didn't want you to find out like this..." Katya looked at her in confusion.

"Laurel, are you a..." She struggled for the correct word.

"Satyr?" supplied Laurel, before nodding. "I'm sorry I couldn't tell you. I was assigned to be your protector."

"Protector from what?" Katya asked. Laurel gave a small smile.

"I'll let Chiron explain that," she said, before turning to face what was on the other side of the hill. Katya looked past her and her mouth fell open.

She was looking down on an expansive valley. She could see a half-circle of buildings, all different from each other. There was a volleyball pit near the base of the hill, and she could see a lake glittering in the distance.

"Welcome to Camp Half-Blood," said Laurel, pride evident in her voice. The friends started down the hill. They passed several kids and teens on the lawn, many wearing the same orange t-shirt. Some of them waved at Laurel, and then smiled at Katya. She gave a hesitant smile in return.

"That's the Big House," Laurel said, pointing at a three-story red farmhouse. "Chiron and Mr. D live there." Seeing Katya's blank look, she elaborated. "Activities director and camp director. Speaking of..." She turned to a boy walking past.

"Connor! Where's Chiron?" The teen stopped and pointed toward the Big House.

"I think on the porch around back with Mr. D- there's no archery going on right now." He nodded at Katya. "Welcome to camp," he said, before turning and continuing on. Katya followed Laurel up to the Big House and they climbed up the wooded steps to the wraparound porch. The boards creaked under their feet as they went around the corner of the house. A field of plants came into view as they drew close to the back of the house.

"I thought the strawberry farm was a cover," said Katya.

"We have to keep up the facade somehow," said a male voice as they rounded the corner. Katya nearly sat down on the spot when she saw the speaker. Standing at a table was- unbelievably- a centaur. His horse half was a pure white stallion, while his human upper half had curly brown hair and a scruffy beard.

"Chiron, this is Katya Marten," said Laurel. She nudged Katya, who was staring with wide eyes.

"You're a centaur," she mumbled before her brain had reconnected to her mouth. Chiron laughed.

"Indeed, my dear," he said, a twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, wonderful, this one seems smart," said the other occupant of the table. He was somewhat pudgy, with curly dark hair. He wore a leopard-print shirt and was holding a can of Diet Coke. Katya blushed and her head dropped self-consciously.

"Let the child be, Mr. D, she's had quite the day," said Chiron. Katya blushed even harder. Chiron pulled a chair away from the table. "Take a seat, Miss Marten." Katya sat down slowly, shifting the duffel bag so it sat on her lap.

"What's _happening_? What is this place?" she asked, slightly embarrassed to hear something like desperation creeping into her voice.

"Camp Half-Blood is a safe haven for children like you," said Chiron.

"Like me? Am I...half what?" Several unfinished thought tumbled out of her mouth before she began processing the events of the day. "No way," she breathed as the answer dawned on her. Chiron nodded.

"The myths of Ancient Greece are very much alive. They never really died- just shifted to the center of Western Civilization over the years. The gods, the creatures, the people- they have survived through the years and moved to where Western culture is greatest. Now, tell me about what happened earlier today." Katya recounted the attack from the lycanthrope at the zoo. When she reached the part about Rusty defending her, Mr. D, who up until that point had been acting uninterested, straightened up in his seat, the grip on his can of Coke tightening. Chiron noticed as well, but continued listening to Katya. When she finished, he shared a glance with Mr. D, then turned back to Katya.

"Thank you, child. I think it's a miracle that you've survived as long as you have in the mortal world. Half-bloods- or demigods, as you are also called- have a special scent that attracts monsters." He clapped his hands together. "Now, I think we ought to get you settled. Laurel, will you take Katya over to Cabin 11-"

"12," interrupted Mr. D. Chiron gave him a slightly startled look.

"Mr. D, are you..." The dark-haired man shook his head.

"No, I'm not. But trust me for the time being." Chiron was silent for a moment, then smiled- which seemed a little forced to Katya.

"Well, why don't the two of you head over to Cabin 12, then? I'll be along in a moment," he said to Katya and Laurel. Katya stood up and followed Laurel past the table and down the back steps of the porch. She stole a glance back at Chiron and Mr. D and found them talking with their heads close together. She turned to Laurel.

"What was Chiron asking Mr. D?" Lauren looked uncomfortable.

"He was asking if Mr. D was claiming you. That's what gods usually have to do for demigods to be placed in a cabin- I can see why Chiron asked; Mr. D put you in his cabin."

"He's a god?" Who..." Katya answered her own question when she remembered the leopard shirt and the way Laurel had been so nervous around him. "Dionysus?" Laurel nodded.

"Zeus put him at this camp to let him dry out. Sort of enforced a personal Prohibition on him."

"And the cabins?"

"Each cabin is for the children of a different god. 11 is for Hermes, and the demigods who haven't been claimed yet. That's why Chiron originally told us to go there." They had reached the arc of mismatched buildings. There were many statues and flowerbeds in the large grassy commons. "I've never seen Mr. D change the placement of an unclaimed camper before."

"So...will I find out who my mom is?" Laurel shrugged.

"Hard to say. It depends on if she decides to claim you, which happens pretty frequently." A rhythmic thudding made them turn to see Chiron trotting across the grass toward them.

"Well, my dear, let's get you settled!" Katya followed him to the cabin on the end of the arc on their right. It was built out of a deep wine-colored wood, with a small porch on the front and a sloping roof. Grapevines wove across the roof and through trellises that made up parts of the porch walls. Chiron clopped up the few steps and knocked on the door. After a few seconds, it swung open to reveal two identical boys about Katya's age with blond curly hair and rich purple eyes.

"Hey, Chiron, what's up?" asked the one on the left. Chiron stepped to the side slightly to reveal Katya.

"This is Katya Marten. She'll be joining Cabin 12, by request of Mr. D- she's yet unclaimed." The boys looked slightly puzzled for a moment, but their expressions cleared quickly.

"Sounds great," said the one on the left with a smile. He held out his hand to Katya. "I'm Pollux." Katya shook his hand, followed by the other, who introduced himself as Castor.

"Dinner's in a few- I'll see you then, said Laurel," said Laurel, and with that, she and Chiron left with similar clip-clops. Katya followed the twins over the threshold.

"Welcome to Cabin Twelve, or Casa Dionysus, as I like to call it," said Pollux. "Um...if you don't mind us asking, what's your story with Dad? He stuck you here instead of Eleven?" Katya nodded.

"I'm...I'm not really sure. I think he knows who my mom is but I don't think he's going to say anything. It still doesn't really make sense why I'm here, though." Castor shrugged.

"Well, whatever the case, we're glad to have you. It's good to see a new face in here- Dad didn't...um...do too much with mortals." Katya smiled as the boy blushed. In the distance, the low sound of a conch echoed. The twins looked up.

"That's the general notification call," said Castor. "It's dinner time." He headed for the door with Pollux close behind and Katya behind him. Pollux stopped before he got to the doorway.

"Hey, I know this is a huge adjustment, and it's not easy leaving your life behind for this one, but I promise that camp is going to become your second home. I'll give you a tour after supper and if you ever need anything, I'm happy to lend a hand." He smiled. "Welcome to Camp Half-Blood, Katya Marten."

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**So what did you think? Leave a review? Pretty please? Next chapter will reveal who her parent is!**

**-Ophelia**


	2. Capture the Flag

**Hello, lovelies! Welcome to the second chapter!**

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Katya followed the blond twins up past the two largest cabins ("Zeus and Hera," Castor had said) to the top of a hill where a large pavilion sat. They were the last in several groups of kids heading up. The group in front of them was easily the largest, with at least twenty kids.

"That's the Hermes cabin," said Pollux. "They're the biggest because the unclaimed kids stay there- Hermes being god of travelers and all." He pointed out another group of kids. All of them looked loud, tough, and rude. "Those are the Ares kids. Don't make them mad under ANY circumstances." He stopped, a sour look crossing his face.

"What's up, Lux?" asked Castor before a similar look crossed his face. "Oh, yeah..."

"What's wrong?" asked Katya.

"Well, it's Capture the Flag night," said Pollux, "which isn't the bad thing. We're facing Ares tonight and they're ruthless. Your tour is gonna have to wait until another time."

"I love Capture the Flag!" exclaimed Katya. Pollux grinned.

"Just wait until you play with us," he said. "It's gets quite a bit more interesting.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

Dinner was quite an event. Each cabin sat at their own table, which all surrounded an enormous blazing brazier. Katya and the twins sat down and the boys picked up their goblets, mumbling at the same time. The goblets filled with soda. Katya's eyes widened.

"They're enchanted," said Castor. "Just say what you want to drink, and it fills up for you. Won't run out until you're done, either," he added. Katya considered her glass for a moment.

"Umm...fresh-squeezed orange juice," she said after a moment. The goblet filled with a bright yellow-orange liquid. Katya sipped it, relishing the sweet-tart taste. Several girls were rushing around with plates of food. All of them were dressed in green and brown. As one came and set down a basket of grapes on their table, Katya caught a glimpse of her ears, which were slightly pointed.

"Wood nymphs," murmured Pollux. "Tree spirits that live in the forest." He snagged a slice of brisket from the plate that had just ended up on their table and set it on his plate. Castor grabbed a beautifully red apple and the twins stood up. Katya watched as they, and other campers, went to the bed-sized brazier and tossed in particularly succulent-looking pieces of food. A gust of wind blew around the columns that lined the pavilion and pushed the smoke into Katya's face. She expected the normal bitter smell, but instead smelled fruit, cooking meat, and the rich smell of fresh bread. As Castor and Pollux sat back down, Pollux motioned for Katya to put some food into the fire.

"It's a sacrifice to the gods. Whatever god you want." Katya snagged a bunch of huge bright green grapes and hurried over to the brazier. She paused for a minute, making her choice. _Thanks, Mr. D. For...uh, everything. _She dropped the grapes into the fire and watched the flames curl around them for a second before heading back to the table. She was taken by surprise when she got back to the table and Mr. D was sitting there, surrounded by satyrs who all generally seemed to be catering to his every need. She spotted Laurel among them, carrying a bowl of grapes. Now that the god and his sons were next to each other, the resemblance was clear. Even though they had different hair colors, they shared rosy cheeks, the same slightly turned-up nose, and the same striking deep violet eyes. Chiron stood nearby, talking quietly with Mr. D. Katya slid into the spot next to Pollux and filled up her plate with fresh bread, cheese and strawberries. Chiron clopped around to her seat.

"Taking everything in all right?" he asked with a kind smile. "It's a lot to process, I know."

"Oh, please, my dear centaur. I'm sure she's fine. Mortal children are extremely adaptable." Katya raised her eyebrows but didn't contradict the god. He wasn't wrong, after all.

"It's actually not too bad. It's probably going to hit me sometime tomorrow but I'm...pretty good for now." She bit into a strawberry that was half the size of her fist. "It's pretty amazing here."

"And Castor and Pollux have mentioned that you joined us on a Capture the Flag night, I assume?" Katya nodded. "Hmm...it might be a bit difficult seeing as you have no weapons training yet...perhaps you can play defense." He trotted back over to Mr. D and they resumed their conversation. Katya started.

"Wait, weapons training? What sort of games do you guys play?" Pollux grinned.

"We're a Greek camp and it's a war game- what do you expect? Don't worry, you've got ADHD, right?" Katya nodded. "That's battle reflexes- they'll kick in a bit once you get into the heat of battle. And we aren't allowed to hurt each other, so you'll be all right." The rest of the meal passed swiftly and as wood nymphs began clearing away plates and cups, Chiron stomped a hoof on the marble floor. The pavilion quieted and everyone looked over at Table 12. Mr D heaved himself up with a sigh.

"Yes, let's see. Tonight is Capture the Flag, as I'm sure you are aware." All the campers cheered and yelled. "We have a new camper, Katya Marten." Katya could feel stares shifting from Mr. D to her but she ignored them. Chiron pounded a hoof again.

"Campers, it is time for Capture the Flag! Apollo's cabin presently holds the laurels. Collect your equipment!" Everyone stood up and began heading back to the cabins.

"Come with me. We gotta get you some gear," said Pollux. "Cas, we'll meet you back here?" Castor nodded and Katya followed Pollux out of the pavilion. He led her down the hill and to a good-sized shed. He hauled the door open to reveal a small armory. He studied her for a second, then hurried over to a display of breastplates. He quickly set about fitting Katya with a breastplate and red-plumed helmet. There was a short period of awkwardness when Pollux went to buckle the straps on the sides of her chest but they laughed it off and finished quickly after that. After the armor, Katya followed Pollux back to the arc of cabins to the rear of what looked like the Athena cabin- elegant and white with owl carvings- and opened the door of a smaller shed. This one held an impressive array of weapons. Picking a sword was harder than picking armor- the sword had to be the right length and the right weight. There wasn't time to pick a perfect one, but Pollux helped her find one that would work for that evening's game. As they headed back up the hill, Katya asked how the teams were organized.

"Well, cabins make alliances with other cabins- they trade privileges to get them on their team. Tonight we're with Athena, Hephaestus, and Demeter. The other team is Ares, Apollo, Hermes and Aphrodite." Something seemed off to Katya.

"Aren't there more cabins than that?" Pollux nodded.

"Well, yeah, but some aren't occupied. Like Artemis, she's a maiden goddess, so no kids. I've heard her huntresses stay there when they stop by camp, but that hasn't happened while I've been here."

"And Zeus, Hera and Poseidon?" Katya prompted.

"A long time ago, Zeus, Poseidon and Hades made a pact swearing they wouldn't have any more kids- children of the Big Three are incredibly powerful. Poseidon sort of broke the promise and had a son, a bit younger than you I think, but he's not here right now. And Hera is the goddess of marriage- plus I'm sure you've read the stories of what she did to Zeus' children with other women, so it would be hypocritical of her to have kids with someone other than Zeus." They'd reached the dining pavilion again. The area was a mass of red and blue plumes and several shades of bronze. Katya, Pollux and Castor had red plumes. She began scanning the blue-plumed campers. Several had quivers full of arrows strapped to their backs and carried bows- Apollo kids. There were the tough-looking Ares kids. A bunch of them, all standing in a clump, were stunningly attractive. Most of the girls- and a few guys- had their noses in a compact mirror, intensely studying their reflections. _Aphrodite kids_, Katya guessed.

On their side, in red-plumed helmets, she saw a bunch of blond kids. Most of them were talking quietly but rapidly, and some held sheets of paper that had diagrams drawn on them. Probably the Athena kids. Some of the other kids looked like they knew their way around machines, with little black oily smudges on their faces and hands. They looked tough, but not nasty like the Ares kids. Finally, a couple smaller groups were milling around. Grass poked through the stones when they walked, and as Katya watched a pair of girls sitting on the ground, one passed her hand over a patch of grass and bright flowers sprouted. /Hephaestus and Demeter./ She looked up when thuds reverberated around the pavilion. Chiron was thumping a hoof against the ground. He held out a hand to the right. A few blue-plumed kids ran in holding a gold banner with a harp sort of thing- _oh, a lyre_- on it. All the blue campers hooted and stomped their feet. Chiron held out his hand to the other side and red-plumed campers came in with a silver banner decorated with an owl.

"Are those the _flags?_ They're huge!" exclaimed Katya. Castor nodded.

"Makes it more fun when you have to hide a giant piece of cloth instead of a tiny one." Chiron pounded his hoof once more.

"Campers, you know the rules. The creek is the boundary. All magical weapons are fair. No maiming other players. Good luck!" All the campers cheered and yelled before heading for the woods.

"Is there anything dangerous in there I should know about?" asked Katya as they made their way down the hill. Pollux tipped his head in thought.

"There're some average monsters. Nothing too dangerous. And Chiron's field medic if things get out of hand- which only happens sometimes."

"Great," said Katya, swallowing thickly.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~

The red team had the territory across the river. Castor and Pollux led Katya to a cluster of trees growing close together in a clearing. Pollux pointed to a larger gap between them.

"Here's a good spot for you," he said. "People won't be able to see you easily but you can jump out and attack them. Just keep them busy and when you need a team member, just shout _kókkinos_ to get someone to come and help."

"_Red_," translated Katya, then did a double take. "How'd I do that?"

"Dyslexia in half-bloods happens because your brain is wired for Ancient Greek- it comes pretty easily to us." Katya nodded.

She slipped between the tree trunks and gave a thumbs-up to the twins, who both gave her one in return and jogged off. "And now we wait," mumbled Katya. She leaned against a tree so she had a view in the direction of the river. Her ADHD kicked in pretty quickly after that. She stabbed at the ground, spearing leaves on the point of her sword. She accidentally sliced a tree root and was startled to hear and indignant "Hey!" A girl materialized out of nowhere. She wore a green dress and had pointed ears. She glared at Katya.

"Sorry...sorry." Katya apologized hastily and leaned her sword against another tree, holding up her hands. The dryad _hmph_ed and melted back into the tree whose roots Katya had stabbed. Katya picked up her sword and poked her head out from the cluster of trees. No one was in sight. She sighed. She would be the first to admit that she had no weapons training but she was _so_ bored! She scraped the leaves off the tip of her sword with her shoe. Then she heard a crunching sound that she didn't make. She darted back into the shadow of the trees, peering out between two trunks. A blue-plumed camper was making his way carefully in her general direction. He had held a bow with an arrow nocked and while the arrowhead wasn't a traditional sharp one, Katya was sure the tiny cylinder held some nasty surprise. She held still as she drew closer. When he was about twenty yards away and level with her hiding spot, she took a deep breath and yelled "_Kókkinos_!" as she jumped out of the cluster of trees. The Apollo boy started, swiftly loosing the arrow in her direction. Even though it was only a game, her adrenaline kicked into overdrive and she wasn't sure what happened next. Her vision shifted and there was a flurry of motion, the world flying past. A frantic shout reached her ears and she stopped, her vision retuning to normal. She found herself crouched over the Apollo boy, her sword on the ground a few feet away next to his. The boy had deep scratches on his arms and he was shaking under the hand pinning him to the forest floor. She tried to pull away and found her hand...stuck to the boy's breastplate? She tugged harder and her hand came free, only for her to discover the reason for getting stuck. Her fingernails had elongated into curved claws, each about half an inch long. She lifted her other hand to find the same thing, only the claws on that had were tinged red with the boy's blood. She caught sight of her reflection in the polished bronze of the boy's breastplate and was startled by her eyes. They looked strangely feline. She scrambled to her feet, holding her hands close to her chest.

"I'm sorry-I-I didn't-I didn't try-" The boy was looking at her warily and she knew stammered apologies would do her no good at the moment.

So she ran. She turned and dashed out of the clearing, leaving the boy pushing himself up on his elbows. She ran until the sounds of battle were distant and soft. She sank to the ground with her back against a tree, breathing heavily. Once her breathing had slowed, she pulled her knees to her chest, folded her arms on top of them and buried her face in her arms, letting the tears begin to leak out. _I thought this place was suppose to help me. Instead I'm hurting people and I don't know what's happening to me. I- ohmygodwhatwasthat?_ Her train of thought was interrupted by the slow snapping of twigs as something made its way toward her. She remembered Pollux's words.

_"There're some average monsters. Nothing too dangerous."_ Yeah, if you were a camper trained with swords. Plenty dangerous if you were an untrained kid with freaky claws and cat eyes. She hurried to her feet and looked around for a place to hide. The claws hadn't recedes and she decided to put them to good use, scurrying up the tree to perch on a branch about twenty feet up. She watched the forest floor, waiting for the monster.

"Katya?" The monster that knew her name, apparently.

"Katya, are you out here?" Oh. It was Castor and Pollux. They were near the base of her tree.

"Yeah...I'm up here," she called. The twins looked up. Their faces broke into expressions of relief.

"Thank the gods," said one- Katya couldn't tell them apart from her height. She climbed down slowly.

"Is he okay?" she blurted once she was standing on solid ground. "The Apollo boy?" Pollux waved a hand dismissively.

"Don't worry- Chiron will patch him up. That's definitely not the worst injury that's happened during Capture the Flag. What's more important is what happened to you back there? Jordan said you grew claws and attacked him." Katya splayed her fingers in front of her. The claws were still there, but as they watched, they shrunk back down into normal fingernails.

"Are my eyes normal?" Castor looked at her weirdly.

"Yeah, they look fine. I mean, a little red, but yeah, fine. Why?"

"They...they, um...back in the clearing, they looked like cat eyes." She swallowed. "Let's just go back. I don't want to talk about it until I figure out what happened." The twins shared a look, then nodded, and Katya followed them back to the clearing. Several campers were milling around while Chiron patches up a few minor injuries. He looked up as Katya and the twins entered the clearing. He finished bandaging a girl's wrist and cantered over to them.

"Let's go to the Big House. We'll..." he trailed off, his attention caught by something over Katya's head. Castor, Pollux and other campers began looking up too. Katya looked up to find a shining, translucent golden paw print in orangish light hovering over her head. She looked back at Chiron.

"What's that? What's going on?"

"You have been claimed, child," he said, kneeling in front of her. The campers in the clearing followed suit. "Hail, Katya Marten, daughter of Panthera." Katya could see campers glancing at one another and shrugging, and she could understand why.

Panthera?

* * *

**So, yeah, original goddess. More about her in the next chapter, as well as a strange dream on the way for our heroine. And dreams for demigods are always something important...**

**Please review! I would love to hear how I'm doing.**

**Until next time!**

**-Ophelia**


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